Initial progress in developing a predictive simulation tool to inform helicopter ship operations

The study presented in this paper is part of the project underway at the University of Liverpool (UoL) to develop a high-fidelity simulation tool that has a predictive capability to inform and support Ship Helicopter Operating Limit (SHOL) trials. The paper reports preliminary progress in developing a desktop based predictive simulation tool that uses a pilot modelling technique to represent the integrated Helicopter Ship Dynamic Interface (HSDI) simulation environment. The approach consists of: a pursuit pilot model, linearized vehicle dynamics, full standard deck landing task, ship motion and equivalent ship airwake turbulence. The tool was initially tested by performing a simplified land-based task for validation purposes. It was then used in HSDI simulations of an SH-60B helicopter operating to a generic single-spot naval frigate. Time and frequency domain comparisons have been made between the predictive tool and piloted simulation flight trials conducted in UoL's Heliflight-R full-motion simulator. It was found that the performance of the predictive tool in maintaining sufficient clearance between the aircraft and the ship whilst rejecting airwake disturbances is well within the desired task performance boundaries. These preliminary investigations show that the tool is capable of representing the dynamics of a pilot in the HSDI environment